ECOS letter to County Supervisors re Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force

On February 7, 2022, ECOS submitted a letter to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors regarding the County’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force. Below is an excerpt.

We will soon receive the next draft of the County’s Communitywide Climate Action Plan (CAP), and hope that it contains enforceable actions and does not rely on anticipated recommendations from the Task Force. We suggest that the Task Force be charged with developing ways to implement the CAP, including an emergency response plan. For the Task Force to succeed, we hope the County will budget funding for such items as additional staff, consultant studies that may be needed, and outreach/community engagement.

Click here to read the letter in full.


Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels

Sacramento County Climate Action Plan

On October 8, 2021, ECOS sent our comments on the Sacramento County Climate Action Plan, Final Draft dated September 2021.

Click here to view the letter.


Also on October 8th, the day comments were due, ECOS and some of its allies held a press conference on the Climate Action Plan. Below are two photos from the press conference.

Sacramento County Climate Action Plan Press Conference Oct 8

Sacramento County’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) downplays the urgency of climate change. Come to Press Conference on Friday Oct. 8 at 9:00 am. Location: Community Resource Project, Louise Perez Resource Center, 3821-41st Street, Sac 95824.

CODE RED FOR SACRAMENTO’S CLIMATE!

Contact: Laurie Heller laurierivlinheller[at]gmail[dot]com (916) 505-2016

County of Sacramento’s Final Draft “Climate Action Plan”

The County of Sacramento released the long-awaited Final Draft Climate Action Plan (CAP), their blueprint to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to the devastating impacts from climate change.

YOU ARE INVITED TO A PRESS CONFERENCE at which local community organizers, environmental justice advocates, medical professionals, youth activists, business owners and environmental groups will address SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES in the County CAP.

WHAT: County of Sacramento Final Draft Climate Action Plan

WHEN: Friday, October 8, 2021 at 9:00 am

WHERE: Community Resource Project, Inc. @ the Louise Perez Resource Center, 3821 – 41st Ave, Sac. CA 95824

The CAP will have wide-ranging consequences for our region for decades.

This CAP ignores the urgency of climate change.
It relies too much on legislation and regional polices for the 2021-2030 period and defers needed changes in County’s internal operations and development practices to 2030-2050.
For the reductions it plans for 2021-2030, this CAP is weak on implementation and lacks evidence that it will work.
It streamlines sprawl development, which increases GHGs, especially from transportation, and pulls resources away from needed infill development.
A concrete prescriptive CAP is essential to a sustainable future with sufficient resources, a strong – and green – local economy, and quality of life for all community members.

LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS TO SPEAK:

CAP Lags behind Regional & State Plans to Reduce VMTs – Ralph Propper, Pres. ECOS (Environmental Council of Sacramento) rpropper47[at]icloud[dot]com

CAP Excludes Conservation of Valuable Open Space – Barbara Leary, Chair, Sierra Club –Sacramento Group barbaraleary[at]comcast[dot]net

County Process Streamlines Sprawl – Oscar Balaguer, CAP Team Co-chair, 350 Sacramento oscarbal[at]hotmail[dot]com

CAP Disregards Emergency Action to Address Climate Change – Jill Peterson, Local Issues Lead, Citizens Climate Lobby – Sacramento jillpz[at]yahoo[dot]com

COMMUNITY LEADERS TO SPEAK:

Nailah Pope-Harden, Exec. Director, Climate Plan: Cumulative Benefits of Statewide Climate Action. nailahph[at]gmail[dot]com
Gabby Trejo, SacACT: Environmental Justice Gabby[at]sacact[dot]org
Brandon Rose, Director, SMUD; SMUD’s 2030 Carbon Plan brandondrose[at]hotmail[dot]com
Ilonka Zlatar, Pres., 350 Sacramento; Urgent need for climate action & opportunities it affords. ilonka[dot]zlatar[at]350sacramento[dot]org
Steve Cohn, Pres., Breathe California-Sac. Region, and Founder, SacMoves; stevecohnsacramento[at]gmail[dot]com
Herman Barahona, Sac Environmental Justice Coalition; Air Pollution In Low Income Communities barahonaconsulting[at]gmail[dot]com
Faye Lessler, Sunrise Movement; faye[at]sustaining[dot]life
David Mogavero, Senior Partner, Mogavero Architects; Bd Member, Council of Infill Builders: County sprawl creates barriers to affordable communities. dmogavero[at]mogaveroarchitects[dot]com
Robert Rosenbaum, PhD., Climate Health Now; brose andbaum1[at]mac[dot]com
Luis Sanchez, CEO, Community Resource Project Inc.; Host luiss[at]communityresourceproject[dot]org
Time is running out for public engagement.

The 30-day Public Comment Period ends Oct 8, 2021. The CAP is scheduled for presentation at the COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 18. The final step will be review and approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Community Action.

Residents should contact their County Supervisor NOW! to demand a serious Climate Action Plan to mitigate and adapt to climate change in Sacramento.

The Urgent Need to Act.

Climate change here. Extreme weather and natural disasters are affecting agriculture, recreation, industry, health, infrastructure and natural ecosystems in the Sacramento Valley. These impacts will accelerate during this century. The science is unequivocal: Bold, transformative action is needed now to drastically reduce emissions, and avoid even worse impacts from climate change.

All speakers are available for interview. Press conference recording available on request.

For more information visit SACRAMENTO COUNTY’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

IPCC’s Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis – Summary For Policymakers

Final Sac County Climate Action Plan Released

September 7, 2021

​After years of work and multiple rounds of public review and comment, the final draft of the Sacramento County Climate Action Plan (CAP) has been released! This final draft will be available for public review for a period of 30 days before moving on for approval and implementation. Public comments will be accepted through Oct. 8​, 2021.

https://www.saccounty.net/news/latest-news/Pages/Final-Draft-of-Climate-Action-Plan-Released.aspx

Click here for more info.

Dangerous by design: How Sacramento’s un-walkable roads imperil and kill Black residents

By Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks And Phillip Reese | August 30, 2021 | The Sacramento Bee

Black pedestrians in Sacramento County were more than twice as likely to be killed in a car collision and three times as likely to be injured compared to the rest of the county.

City planners, state officials and traffic engineers have for decades prioritized cars as the predominant means of travel. Streets have gotten faster and roads have grown wider, with major urban thoroughfares slicing through low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. In the areas of Sacramento where people are most likely to lack access to a car, walking or biking to nearby stores, parks, clinics or public transit stops is a risky undertaking.

Click here to read the full article.


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